The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-12-07
THE MESSAGE.

Presidents to Congress. All of then
have been more or less able and inter
esting: but it is doubted if any wert
more readable in a popular sense thai
the one which appears this morning
over the signature of President Cleye
land. One highly commendsbI'
feature is its breYity, it being the
shortest Presidential message, at least
IL modern times. However, If it is
brisi, il does not lack in interest. IN
like his predecessors, Mr.. Cleveland
has not ranged all over creation" and
made up long and DIRE ~ paper
on matters which would attract the
attention of neither Congress nor the
country. As to the state Of the Union
he contents himself with referring
the lawmakers to the Department re-
ports, and by asking a consideration of
matters to which he as directed atten-
ton IN past communications to Con-
gress; and deYo es his entire message
to the question OF reyen e reform; the
most important matter before the
public. The showing which he makes
is the oIearest, most comprehensive and
most able presentation OF the subject
that has yet appeared. It is an argu-
men alive document, though IN no
sense partisan, the discussion beng
from the standpoint, not of the poll
tician, bat of the statesman and econ
omist. He finds this condition Of things
to exist-the extraordinary expenses of
the government caused by the war have
been diminished very rapidly, but the
war taxes in the form of high tariff,
duties and excessive income taxes are
still largely maintained the government
has collected a vast sum of money from
the people for which it can find no use,
and is thus drawing from the public
about $1OO,00O,OOO year more than it
can expend IegitimateIy or devote to the
reduction Of the public debt There IS
two-fold evil in this condition OF things;
first, the burden imposed upon the
people is heavier than they should be
required to bear, to just the extent that
the taxes are in excess of the actual
needs of the government: and, second
the withdrawal from circulation OF so
much money has a disturbing if not
a disastrous effect on the business of
the country. 1t is to cure
these twin evils which are
arousing discomfort through the nation,
and to restore the chief department of
the nation, the financial, to the plane
suggested by craftsmanship and sound
business principle, that he asks Con-
gress to employ itself. He tells the
legislators how they can best apply
the remedy; that is to say, how the
revenue can be reduced to the needs of
the nation with the least disturbance
and the greatest amolnt of benefit to
the masses. As the internal revenue Is
now imposed on liquor and tobacco,
two lu1uries, and the products of such
a character that the removal of the tax
would not materially stimulate the in
dustries involved in their production, it
would not be wise statesmanship
to take the tax from those articles,
while necessities are taxed or manufac-
turingindustries sreto be protected Most
properly the tax should be taken from
such articles as the people must have;
the revenue reduction should come
through decrease or abolition of the
import duties on such foreign produced
or manufactured articles as least affect
home production and manufacture.
The logic of the President is clear and
his argument irrefutsble. The showing
which he makes cannot be overcome,
nor his presentation of the case lessened
in its convincing force. Having stated
the facts, and pointed out way to
remedy the evil, he ciinches the
matter by shouldering the responsibility
for continuing the ugly state Of affairs
upon Congress, declaring the blame
must lie with it for failure to bring the
reliefwhich the public demands. The
nation may well be proud OF its Presi-
dent. for his broad statesmanship, his
politisal economy and his courage to
deal wseh matters as he finds them.
While the message is m no sense a
PARTISAN document, it will be accepted
as clearly defining the position of the
two great political parties. The issue
upon which the coming campaign will
be conducted is made up in this mess
age. The Democracy must support the
administration in its demand for
revenue reform and tariff reduction.
The party will not necessarily have
to declare for free trade, but
it's position on the question will be so
close to a free trade declaration, t at it
will fall little short OF the old and
orthodox plank of the Democratic plat
form. The Democracy has long wanted
20 get back 10 its legitimate position,